Webinar series for capacity building on Codex topics of interest for the Latin American and the Caribbean region

This September 26th we continue with Module 7: Food Fraud. Register here Next sessions will be announced soon.

Context

The growing population worldwide, the increase in food demand, the consequent growth of the food industry, added to global health risks, demonstrate the importance of incorporating food safety into national policies and the strengthening of the Food safety systems.

Foodborne diseases generate great impacts on the health of the population. Worldwide, it is estimated that 600 million people (1 in 10 people) get sick from consuming contaminated food, and that 420,000 people die each year from this same cause (FAO and WHO, 2019). These diseases are usually caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals present in contaminated food or water (FAO and WHO, 2019).

The global health situation of recent years had a strong impact on the agri-food system, with major disruptions in food production and processing, in the food supply chain and corresponding logistics, and in food consumption patterns, among others.

The use of antimicrobials in food production and the potential emergence of infectious agents resistant to antimicrobials in food represent a risk to public health, and may affect food trade.

International organizations are working to strengthen the application of standards related to food safety among all actors in the food chain, to protect the health of the population (consumers) and achieve fair trade.

Good Agricultural Practices – GAP, Good Manufacturing Practices – GMP, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points – HACCP, different ISO Standards, among others; are essential resources in the production and value chains to ensure food safety.

The Phyto and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency of Ecuador (AGROCALIDAD), as the base of the Codex Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (CCLAC), and the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (FAO RLC), come together under the project Implementation of Codex standards to support containment and reduction of foodborne antimicrobial resistance to offer a series of virtual seminars with the purpose of socializing and promoting the application of Codex Alimentarius standards for the strengthening of national food safety systems.

The series of virtual seminars will be transmitted between 2022 and 2025 to the entire Latin American and Caribbean region, in Spanish and English.

To date, five modules have been transmitted: Module 1: Guide and orientation for new Codex Alimentarius participants (December 14 and 15, 2022), Module 2: Basic Codex texts (December 7, 2022), Module 3: Future Food Safety Challenges (April 28, 2023), Module 4: Application of Codex - Regional Experiences (July 7, 2023), Module 5: Food Safety under the One Health Approach (November 17, 2023), and Module 6: Contaminants in fishery and aquaculture products.